Ltjdwig mono



NITED STATES PATENT QFFICE.

,LUDlVIG MOND, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

PROCESS OF MAKING COMPOUNDS OF NICKEL AND CARBON MONOXIDE- SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letteriratent No. 455,227, dated June 30, 1891.

Application filed November 11. 1890. Serial No. 371,096. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern.-

llc it known that l, LUDWIG MOND, manufacturing chemist-,a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Regents Park, London, in the county of Middlesex, in the Kingdom of England, have invcnted a certain new and useful Improvement in alrocess of Manufacturing a Compound of Nickel and Carbonic Oxide, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a new discovery in science and relates to a new compound of nickel with carbon monoxide. The method of obtaining it is as follows:

In treating ores which contain the nickel in combination with sulphur or arsenic or other elements of the same nature these ores have first to be treated so as to convert the nickel into oxide by the usual methods. After such treatment, and in the case of all other ores or substances which contain the nickel in the form of an oxide or salt without such treatment, the oxide or salt is reduced to the metallic state in any convenient manner, such as by treating it with carbonic oxide or with hydrogen or a hydrocarbon or a gaseous mixture containing these gases at a temperature of between 350 and 400 centigrade. In treating oxalates of nickel these may be heated by themselves to the temperature required for their complete decomposition. In this manner the metallic nickel is obtained in a very finely divided state particularly suitable for the subsequent operations. Substances containing metallic nickel obtained by other methods should be finely comminnted before proceeding with the extraction processhereinafterdescribed. Anysubstance containing metallic nickel obtained in this or any other manner is treated at a temperature below 150 centigrade with carbonic-oxide gas, which may be mixed with other gases, but should be free from oxygen or halogens. The nickel combines with the carbonic oxide and forms a readily-volatile compound called nickel-carbon oxide, which is easily carried off by the excess of the gas employed. This compound forms at all temperatures below 150 centigradc, even below 0 centigrade, and is very freely obtained at ordinary atmospheric temperature; but I prefer to work at about cen ti grade. None of the impurities in the nickel or the oxide (not even thecobalt) are in the least acted upon by the carbonic oxide,but remain behind after the nickel has been volatilized. The treatment is preferably carried on in a chamber or cylinder revolving on a horizontal axis or in one provided with a stirring or agitating device, whereby the pulverulent matter shall be freely and thoroughly exposed to the gas. After some time the action of the finely-divided nickel upon carbonic oxide becomes less energetic. It is then heated up to 350 to 400 centigrade in a current of carbonicoxide or hydrogen and cooled down again to ordinary temperature, by which means its energy is restored.

The vapors of nickel-carbon oxide mixed with carbonic oxide obtained as stated are condensed by passing them through any convenient cooling apparatus, if desired, under pressure, so as to hasten the condensation. It is preferable to effect this condensation at a temperature below 0say 20which can easily be efiected by artificial refrigeration of the condensing apparatus. In this way the nickel-carbon oxide isobtained as a colorless liquid of the composition NiC,O which boils at 43 centigrade and solidifies at-25". Its specific gravity is 1.3185 at 17 centigrade.

'lhevaporof the new compound when heated to 180 centigrade decomposes into nickel and carbon monoxide of the formula CO.

The compound is useful for obtaining nickel therefrom either in the form of masses, plates, or nickel-plating, and these uses form the subject of other applications cotemporaneous with this.

I declare that. what I claim isl. 'lhemethodofmanufacturing nickel-carbon oxide, which consists in roasting nickel ore till it is oxidized, then exposingit to the reducing action of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, or a hydrocarbon at a temperature of about 350 to 4 centigrade, then roasting the reduced ore to below 150 and treating it with carbon monoxide (reheating the reduced ore to about 350 whenever the action of the cold carbon monoxide becomes sluggish) till the nickel is ext raetcd, and condensing the vapors.

2. The method of manufacturing nickel-carbon oxide, which consists in exposing an oxide of nickel to the reducing action of carbon commiuuted nickel to a current of gas conmining carbon monoxide,'but free from unoombined oxygen and halogens, and condensing the product, substantially as described.

5. In the process of obtaining nickel-eartwo subscribing witnesses.

bon oxide, exposing a largely-extended surface of nickel to carbon monoxule,m1d, when the action becomes sluggish or ceases, heating the nickel to about 351)" centigmde in a, current of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, onhydrocarbon, and after cooling trenting t wlth carbon monoxide as before.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification m the presence of LUDWIG MOND.

Witnesses:

WM. P. THOMPSON, f JOHN HAYES. 

